Gage for indicating liquid-levels.



No. 859,921. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907. G. GUNO.

GAGE FOR INDIGATING LIQUID LEVELS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 5. 1907..

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0. GUNO. GAGE FOR INDIGATING LIQUID LEVELS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.5. 1907.

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UNITED gs'rAgrns PATENT 013311011 CHARLES 0on0, 0F nninnnn, oonnno'r'ioo r.

GAGE FOB INDIOJ L'IING momnmvnm.

" Application filed A il To all whom it may concern:

Be it that I, Cnnnms Cone, it citizen of the United States, residing at Merirlen, county of New Haven, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gages for Indicating Liquid- Levels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved gage for registering liquid levels, the invention being of particular utility in connection with liquid fuel tanks fOI'.UE$ in automobiles, the indicator proper being so placed as to always be in sight to the driver-who may, at any moment, ascertain the quantity of loci remaining in the storage reservoir.

Broadly speaking, the invention comprehends among the essential elements, a st rage tank. a receptacle having it gage tube therein, and a liquid in said latter receptacle which preferablyjs anti-freezing and harmleee. Between this tank and the receptacle is an air duct, and in said air duct is an equalizing device arranged to compensate for variatione temperature, so that under all conditione'and in al masons, the gage will register accurately. The indicating fluid ie acted upon by the pressure of the air from the tank. As the liquid in the storage tank varies in level, the air die placement therein aleo varies. Tzaie is utilized to vary the displacement of the liquid in the receptacle,

so that it will. rise or fall in the gage tube to indicate correctly the level in. the tank. Since a rise of lQO Fahrenheit will. produce an expansion of air of sub stnntiztlly tvventydhreo per cent., it follows that the indicatorwill not register accurately under all conditions Wiihout a suitable compensating device is employed to allow or this change by expansion. To that end, my invention always, includes, at a suitable point in the air system or duct, a compensating device which will correct this change by expansion automaticelly, thus correcting what would otherwise be 21 fetal defect.

in the accmnpanying drawings--Figure 1 is 3 diagriunmatic view of my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional, relatively enlarged view in elevation of-the compensator; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 2 of the 5311]? parts; Figs. 4 and 5 are similar sectional views, showing the internal parts in a slightly different position resppctivuly.

1 is a storage tank for containing the liquid.

2 is the indicator rezseptecle, also containing fluid, prelerablyoi a non-freezing, harmless nature.

3 is a pipe extending from the outside of tank 1, into the same and well toward the lmliom.

4 is an indicator tube, pr ferably transparent and suitably graduated, although the graduaiions are oi minor importance. This tube! extends from the outflpecification of 1.9m latant.

5.1907. Saris-l In. 866.6%.

23mm July 10, 19,07.

side of the receptacle 2, into the same and well toward the bottom thereof. I

5 is a tube co'nnected at one end of what I term the temperature controlled compensator 6.

7 is a pipe leading from the compensator 6 to the upper port of the receptacle 2, by preference. Suitable connections will be, of course, providediw make the several joints air-tight.

S is a pipe leading from the upper endoi tube 4 back to the receptacle 1. i i

9 is a. stopper for filling opening in tank 1. The tubes 7 and 8 are preferably of very much smaller cross-sectionsl iii-ea then the tube 3. The tube 4 in also pref embly slightly larger in croowectional area than tube 3, and preferably larger than tube 7.

Broadly, the operation of the apparatus is as follows: Aasnming the tank 1 is empty, the receptacle 2 will contain it fluid that will substantially fill the same and not project into the exposed portion of the graduated tube t, or at least not above that point therein wherein its presence indicates that the tank 1 is empty; As

receptacle As the volume of air increases in recap tecle 2, the liquid therein will be forced up into the tube 4.. tlt the tankis half lull, and when-lull it will'indientrtliet the leak 1 is also lull. in order to permit the tube 4 to be made very short and compact, the crow sectional capacity of the same should be enlarged relatively to the cross-sectional capacity of tube 3,25 will be seen, suitable allowance, of course, being made for the slight compression in air that may occur. During changes in temperature the volume oi air in the airpipe system and above the liquid levels in both receptacles, would vary considerably, in loot, to such a (lo-- gree onto render the indicator useless, were it not or the proviaion of the compensating device 6, which provides a collapsible and expaneible chamber automatically operating with variations in temperature to care for these changes in air volume due to changes in temperature: I

The preferable construction of the compensator is as follows, reference being bad to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5: 6 is the exterior wall ofthe compensator, as before. 10 is a collapsible expansion chamber of suitable material, for example, rubber. This chamber, preferably tubular' in form, is connected at opposite ends to the incoming and outgoing ends of the air pipes 5 and 7, respectively, The cross-sectional capacity of the chember 10 is preferably greater than the cross-sectional capacity of air pipes 5 and 7. Within the expansion When this tube 4 is half full it will indicate chamber 10 are two spring expander plates 11-11 the expansion chamber collapsed, as it would be during, cold weather, this section being taken approximately which separate the walls of the tube and tend to push thorn apart. These spacer plates, as I term them, not only prevent the walls of the expansion chamber from adhering, but likewise serve to open or expand the same to increasejthe volumetric capacity. 12-12 are outside prewar-plates, preferably provided on opposite sides oftheexpansion ehainl'ier 10. ltiveted or suitably fastened to the-back of these plates 12 are strips 1313. The plates 12 12 are preierably metal, while the strips 13-43 are preferably hard rubber, or similar material, which has a co eilioient expansion substantiallydilfereut from the material of the plates ]2-.]2. At or nearilidopposite end of each oi the strips 13-12i are bearings 14 114 These bearings may be secured by a screw 15 (as shown in Fig. 3) and may be adjusted up and down for the purpose hereinafter described. These bearings'l4 snugly lit against the inner walls of the casing 6, and, as will be seen, the upper and lower ends of the expansion chamber 10 are substantially closed, save at the edges of the spring expander plates 11-11. The passage through the expansion chamber is never, of course, entirely closed but the internal capacity of the same is varied automatically by the bowing of the plates 12-12. As the temperature lowers,- the strips 1213 willtcnd to straighten out, this collapsing the expansion chamber and reducing the internal capacity of the same. 1n-the same way, when the temperature rises, the plates 12-13 will tend to bow outwardly and the expander springs llll will open the expansion chamber 10, increasing its internal capacity. This bowing oi the strips ]21'.i is the result of the difference in the co-eliicient oi expansion, rubber, for example, expanding much more rapidly than steel, hllCG,'5lllC8 said strips l2'l.3 are riveted together, the above bowing effect is bound to result from changes in temperature. In Fig. 4 l have shown midway between the ends of the compensator. In

.Figu fi Ihave shown the expansion chamber 10 as opened up, as'it would appear in hot weather, to coinpensate for the expansion of air. The eilective part of the compensating strips l2l3 lies between the fuletums or bearings 14 at opposite ends. It is, therefore,

per 9. l I v pressure will be balanced on the liquid level in rec-01% 55 merely necessary to vary the position of said bearings,

moving them. nearer together or farther apart, to get an effective adjustment.

This indicator is equally adapted for tanks in whicl a pressure of air is provided above the liquid in the storage tank. If atmospheric pressure only is employed, the tube 8 may be dispensed with, in which event a suitable vent would be provided in the tank 1, for example, by merely boring a small hole in the stop If a higher pressure is employed in tank 1, such tacle 2 and pipe 4 by reason of the pipe 8, so that no liquidfwill be forced through pipes 3, :3 and 7 into the receptacle 2, containing the indicator fluid.

What I claim isl. in a liquid level indicating device. a storage tank, lubo prujci'linlr into the some and well towards the bottom 1.. in :1 liquid level indicating :1 storage tank, a receptacle for containing: an indicating; llnid. :ind indlcnhnlulu projecting into said rcccplnclc at a point below the liquid level tbcrcin. an air connection bclwc-cn snid receplm-lc :lml the interior oi n! lnnk, and a temperature conlrollcd conqu-nsnlor in said air councclion.

:i. in an apparatus of tinclml'nclcr described, a storage lul'k. u u n including :1 sigliL iss nud :1 receptacle for containing an indicating liuid, n unciunuiic conduit |lU- tween said innl: und i'cccpinclc. n compensator therein comprising :1 collapsible clnunbcl". and means for expanding: I and (,Ulilizil'l inr: the sonic. variable with changes in temperature.

-l. in a liquid lcvcl indicalinc "o, for storage tanks, in storage tank rcceptncle'i'or containing an indicating iluid, nn uiuconduit arranged to connect the interior of said receptacle with the tank, and a temperature controlled expansion chamber in said air cdndnili.

in niiquid lcvcl indicating gage for storage tanks, slur-age tank a receptacle for containing an indicntim. llnid. an air conduit arranged to connect the interior of said receptacle-with the tank, and a temperature controlled expansion chamber in said air conduit,said compensator expansion Cllilllllitl,lll(iltil1lllg n collapsible condullymcuns for expanding the same from the inside, and menus for compressing thG SillllQ from the oui'sldm' CHAS. -CUNO.

Witnesses 1G. (2. Wmcox, B. C. missus. 

